Texas Southern SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

Break Texas Southern SAT scores into their two parts and the picture gets clearer. Reading and Writing runs from 420 to 520 for the middle half of admitted students, while Math sits a bit lower at 380 to 480. Put those together and the combined middle 50 lands at 800 to 1000, with an average score of 914. That average is the single most useful number here, because it tells you where the typical admitted student actually scored rather than just the outer edges.

The wider context makes these numbers easier to read. Texas Southern is a public university in Houston, TX, enrolling 6,844 students. Its admission rate is 96.9%, so the great majority of applicants get in. A rate that high means the SAT range describes the students who enrolled more than it describes a cutoff you have to clear. If you want an ACT reference point, the middle 50 there is 15 to 19. Testing is optional in the most recent federal data, which means you can apply without a score. Sending one still helps, since a solid number gives the admissions office a concrete data point next to your transcript and can only add to your file.

Here is how to read your own score against these numbers. Land below 800 and you sit under the middle 50, which is fine given the 96.9% admission rate but leaves less room to stand out. Score between 800 and 1000 and you are right inside the range where most admitted students fall. Break past 1000 and you are above the middle 50, in the top quarter of scores the school reported.

The section splits show where the harder work sits. Reading and Writing sets the higher bar at 420 to 520, while Math trails at 380 to 480, a full 40 points lower at both the bottom and the top. If you are stronger in Math, the Reading and Writing side is where you can gain the most ground relative to what Texas Southern typically sees. Aim to clear 460 in each section and you are comfortably inside the 800 to 1000 window on both halves of the test.

Admitted students at Texas Southern typically present an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.0 to 3.5. Treat that as a band, not a bar. Plenty of students land inside it, and the number on its own is only part of what an application says about you.

The courses behind the grade matter as much as the grade itself. A 3.3 earned in harder classes carries more weight than the same 3.3 in an easier load, because it shows you can handle real work. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that 3.0 to 3.5 band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A score at or above the 914 average, or pushing toward the 1000 top of the middle 50, gives the admissions office a clear reason to read your file with more confidence. Since testing is optional here, a good score is extra evidence you choose to add rather than something you are forced to submit.

Set your targets against the middle 50. A total at or above 800 keeps you in range with the students Texas Southern admits. Push to 1000 or higher and you put yourself in the top quarter of reported scores. On the sections, treat 420 in Reading and Writing and 380 in Math as your floor, then aim past 520 and 480 to move into the upper half. Hitting the 914 average across both is a clean, realistic goal that most applicants here can build toward.

Start by finding out where you stand today. A short diagnostic shows your current Reading and Writing and Math scores so you can see which section needs the most work. From there, one of our score plans maps out the practice that closes the gap between where you are and the number you want. Your next step is simple: take that diagnostic this week, then pick the plan that matches the score you are chasing.